Posts

Showing posts from July, 2020

'My actions and my desires can have a divine scope and can change the face of the earth.' Sunday Reflections, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Image
Feeding the Hungry Master of the Acts of Mercy [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings  ( New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 14:13-21 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition) Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.  When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.  When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’  Jesus said to them, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’  They replied, ‘We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.’  And he said, ‘Bring them

It's Not Fun To Be The Messenger

You know the statement “Don’t shoot the messenger?”   Well, in today’s reading, Jeremiah the Prophet understands it all too well (Chapter 26). Poor Jeremiah.   All he was doing was telling the people of all the cities of Judah what the Lord told him to say.   Because of that, all of the people were crying and responded to him, saying:   “You must be put to death!   Why do you prophesy in the name of the Lord?” You see, the life of a prophet involved telling people what they didn’t want to hear.   Prophets had to instruct people to turn away from evil and walk in the path of God.   If they didn’t do what they should, it was the prophet’s job to let them know what would happen to them. This wasn’t usually received as good news. People just don’t like being told what to do.   Neither do they like being told what not to do—apparently even if the word is coming to them straight from God’s messenger! Jeremiah had to tell these people that if they disobeyed God and did not liv

Mars 2020 Mission Launched

Image
I watched NASA's Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter take off at 6:50 this morning, 11:50 UTC. (July 30, 2020) If I heard coverage of the launch correctly, it wasn't perfect. The Atlas V took off a few milliseconds early.... ...The folks who anchored the NASA/JPL online video coverage explained why peanuts are on the snack menu for JPL missions... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Father Ignatius and Mary

Image
CLICK HERE

Are you Ready to be Changed?

Image
                           bibleexploring.com The prophet in today’s beautiful passage from the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah (Chapter 18) was prompted by God to go down the street to the potter’s house to receive a message. In doing so, he came across the potter working at his wheel.   Observing him, Jeremiah noticed that whenever his clay project didn’t turn out very good, he reworked the clay until the object in his hands pleased him. You and I are like the clay in God’s hands.   If we submit ourselves to the hands of God, he will transform us.   But here’s the catch—we need to be willing to allow him to do so. In the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 13:47) we learn that the kingdom of heaven involves judgment.   A catch of fish results in a separation of the good from the bad.   The bad fish gets thrown away. So is God a beautiful potter who transforms us into a thing of beauty, or a God of judgment who throws us away? In Jeremiah we learn later on that it isn’t so much G